


Hold Fast, the Suns Will Rise (Stay)

by HermioneGrander



Series: Stay As You Are; I Will Come Back [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Accidental Grogu | Baby Yoda Acquisition, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Because I can, Boys Kissing, Cobb is just THAT good looking, Damn, Din and Cobb are the galaxy's most eligible DILFs, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay Cowboys, I fucking love that that's a tag, I named the weequay bartender in chapter 9 "Werlo" in reference to the actor, IN SPACE!, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Mentioned Luke Skywalker, Mild description of injuries, Sad Grogu | Baby Yoda, The Mandalorian (TV) Season 2 Spoilers, There's A Tag For That, Touch-Starved Din Djarin, Virgin Din Djarin, Wet Dream, and said weequay doesn't have a canon name, but dont we all, cobb basically adopts grogu and then when din ends up being alive they never change that, cobb vanth has an armour kink, cobb vanth's scarf, din has a wet dream lol, excessive bed sharing, gays in space, his name is W. Earl Brown, i don't make the rules, i wrote my notes at 4am so they're actually really funny, if you're a bit too squeamish just skip half of the first chapter, inexperieced din djarin, lots of bed sharing, not that it matters AT ALL, shiny beskar armour, that's why this is rated t, the plot:, yes i watch the mandalorian for the plot, your virginity does NOT define your worth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:15:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28309593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HermioneGrander/pseuds/HermioneGrander
Summary: Din Djarin went into the mouth of the Krayt Dragon. Only, he didn't come back out.~Now, Cobb is faced with fulfilling his impulsive promise to the Mandalorian: taking care of the child. He's happy to do it. But seeing the kid's heartbroken, grieving face only makes the situation hurt more.~Din Djarin awoke in the middle of a Tusken Raider camp, bandaged, bloodied, and sore. He'd been dragged from the remains of the Krayt, barely held together inside his seemingly-impenetrable armour.Now Din must make the long journey back to Mos Pelgo; back to his kid. Back to Cobb. Din could only hope the Marshal had taken his request seriously.~"You're gonna take care of the child."And Cobb did just that.~*~“Don’t let it in with no intention to keep it,Jesus Christ, don’t be kind to it,Honey don’t feed it,It will come back.”~*~
Relationships: Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) & Din Djarin & Cobb Vanth, Din Djarin/Cobb Vanth
Series: Stay As You Are; I Will Come Back [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2078445
Comments: 71
Kudos: 261





	1. It Will Come Back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GeorgiesLeftArm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeorgiesLeftArm/gifts).



> WHEW WOWZA so, this is a Christmas gift for the lovely GeorgiesLeftArm, a wonderful friend I have the pleasure of knowing because of this silly little ship and her crazy good talent. I love you so freaking much and I really hope you enjoy this. You deserve it <3  
> Each chapter is in fact based on a song. The names of the chapters are the song titles said chapters are based on. Interpret "based" very loosely because what I really mean is that I listened to these songs whist writing these chapters and thus the vibes were influenced by these beautiful songs.  
> This is officially my first completed fanfic!! Yay!! Who knew that medicating your ADD would help you get shit done???  
> To everyone who reads this, thank you, and I'm sorry that once again a fic that was meant to be only 4k got way out of my hands.  
> ALSO I'M SO SORRY IF THERE ARE MISTAKES I'M EDITING THIS AT 2AM SDJGHDJFS - if you DO in fact notice spelling or grammar errors PLEASE TELL ME AND I SHALL FIX THEM  
> Also I may or may not have been more lenient in the cowboy language I allowed Cobb to use, simply because I've heard Timothy Olyphant say them before and they just made sense.

The Mandalorian went into the mouth of the Krayt Dragon. Only, he didn't come back out. Now, Cobb is faced with fulfilling his impulsive promise to the Mandalorian: taking care of the child. He's happy to do it. But seeing the kid's heartbroken, grieving face only makes the situation hurt more.

Cobb had grown to care for the man; he admired his willingness to help save Mos Pelgo from the insufferable beast that plagued it. But both beast and slayer were now gone. And Cobb had a gut feeling that it wasn't worth it. It didn't make sense, truthfully. The Krayt dragon had caused destruction to their little town, had in fact picked up none too few Tusken raiders, and taken a hefty share of their Bantha livestock. The Mandalorian knew what he was risking, and did it willingly.

Still, Cobb wished he'd never requested such a job for the bounty hunter in the first place.

_"You're gonna take care of the child."_

And Cobb was doing just that, to the best of his ability. The child was crying now, having been tucked into his pram not too long ago for what Cobb hoped would become a nap. Cobb sighed - not of frustration, but of empathy - and waltsed over to the kid.

"Hey there, little one. Don't cry," he said soothingly, picking up the child. "I've gotcha, okay? It's alright."

The child continued to sniffle and Cobb's heart ached. He patted the kid's back gently, struggling to think of something more he could be doing.

"Your daddy was a brave man, yeah? He saved us, didn't he."

The child looked up at him with wide, wet eyes. His lip quivered and Cobb choked back a sob of his own for the poor thing. He was at a loss; all he could do was hold the kid tight to his chest. So hold him he did.

~

Din Djarin awoke in the middle of a Tusken Raider camp, bandaged, bloodied, and sore. He'd been dragged from the remains of the Krayt, barely held together inside his seemingly-impenetrable armour. The Tuskens patched him up nicely, only a few large burn marks from the monster's acid and a fresh scar down his shoulder to tell the tale. He could hardly walk at first, and he had a headache like you wouldn't believe. The Tusken healer said he must have a concussion, but he couldn't remove his helmet in front of them, no matter what.

No more droids around to help him out now.

So Din waited for the solitude of a tent lent to him by the Tuskens before removing his beskar armour. Down to his flight suit and boots, he slowly lifted his helmet, wincing when it grazed parts of his upper head. He set it down and raised a hand to his hair; a gentle rub and his fingers came away with dried blood. He frowned, locating the source of his cut. It was right above his left ear, and ran down most the side of his head. Probably from the interior of his helmet and the impact of the explosion.

Din walked to the small bowl of water the Tuskens had graciously provided him with, dipped a cloth in it, and began cleaning his scalp. His mind drifted to his child, whom he'd left behind.

_No_ , he thought. _You've just been separated, that's all. You'll be back with him again, soon._

And still he ached.

"I'm coming, kid," he whispered to himself, his voice hoarse from lack of use. "I promise."

~

Cobb was beginning to see more problems he had to handle than just the child's grief. For example, how the kid seemed to want to eat nothing but the local amphibious creatures, and drain Cobb's supply of blue milk.

Cobb struggled to hold the kid back from attacking yet another frog-like thing when he saw the Weequay, Werlo, approaching.

"Hey, Marshal. How's it goin' with the kid?" he asked gruffly, stopping in front of where Cobb rested on a knee in the sand.

The child had stopped squirming in his grasp, and instead was looking up at Werlo with mild interest. Cobb smiled.

"Goin' about as well as you'd imagine. Kid misses his daddy and is only somewhat comfortable with me."

"Well," Werlo grunted, "At least he likes you a bit. Kid's scared of pretty much everyone else around here, 'sides the other kids of course."

He paused, staring down at Cobb in consideration.

"How 𝘥𝘪𝘥 that Mandalorian know the kid would be good with you? You only knew him for, what, two days?"

Cobb frowned. He hadn't actually thought too much into that. He'd just assumed that, as he was the closest to Mando at the time, he was therefore the one told to take care of the child. But Werlo was right, the kid seemed timid around almost everyone else, except him. He'd finally started getting the kid to sleep at night, a week now from the Krayt Dragon's defeat and the death of the Mandalorian.

"Well, I don't know. Guess I was just the closest one there," Cobb replied after a while, frowning down at where the child now rested in his arms.

"Sure thing, Marshal. You were the closest to the Mandalorian," Werlo repeated, then glanced slyly at Cobb, "The rest of us were just distant acquaintances."

And with that, Werlo strolled off, leaving Cobb to wonder just what was going on in that Weequay's mind. The child cooed and glanced up at him, and he smiled warmly.

"You ready to get back inside, you little womp rat?"

The child made a sudden, loud noise, almost like an exclamation of sorts, and Cobb took that as a yes. He scooped the kid up in his arms, stood, and reentered his home.

~

Din expected to have trouble getting back on his feet again, but he didn't expect his biggest obstacle to leaving the Tusken Raider camp and returning to his kid would be the Tuskens themselves.

"You cannot go! You are injured!" a particularly cross Tusken grunted at him, his signing frantic with frustration.

"I thank you for taking care of me," Din signed back, "But I need to return to the child. I must go."

The Tusken threw up his hands in irritation, and his partner stepped in to argue their case.

"You must rest one more moon," the Tusken grunted; he seemed calmer than his partner. "Your leg was broken, your scar is not healed, and your burn marks will blister in this heat. You must wait - we will reapply [bacta] salve tonight for you to sleep well."

The Tusken crossed his arms and his partner followed suit. Din almost laughed. Instead he sighed heavily.

"I again thank you. But I must leave, I've been away for too long now, my child needs me, and the- the [Marshal] can't watch him forever," Din communicated back, substituting "Marshal" for the Tusken equivalent of "Protector".

The irritable Tusken grunted again, waving his hands.

"How would you protect your child if your injuries kill you on your journey?!" the Tusken's shoulders drooped. "We have brought you back to life, 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯. Do not put our work to waste."

And with that, the two Tuskens left him in his tent, pondering their words in silence. Din hadn't thought of his predicament from their perspective, and he felt awful for it. The Tusken was right, they had brought him back to life, and he was practically spitting in their faces by disregarding their warnings to stay. What's more, he now had a second chance to get back to his kid, and if he died this time there'd be no one to save him. Din sighed again, and began taking off his beskar.

Later, when the Tusken Healer returned to his tent as the twin Suns set, Din sat patiently, quietly, as bacta salve was applied, before finally going to sleep.

~

"Kid, no, don't eat-"

It was too late, the kid now had half a frog in his mouth. Cobb sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair, conceding to his defeat.

"You're gonna turn the rest of my hair gray, kid," Cobb said, smiling slightly.

The kid glanced up at him and swallowed, then giggled. Cobb was caught off guard at his own laugh that followed; he had no idea what the kid found so amusing, but it was cute as hell. And a laugh was a great change from grieving silence or tears.

He scooped up the child and rubbed the top of his head, eliciting more giggles from the kid. Cobb turned towards the sky, watching the twin Suns set. He wondered then, in whatever afterlife the Mandalorians believe in, if the Mandalorian could see the same sunset, if he was watching over the kid in spirit. Cobb smiled, holding the child tighter. He'd like to think he was.

~

When Din was finally permitted to leave the camp, two more nights had passed, and he was restless to return to Mos Pelgo. The Tuskens seemed to be taking extra time and care to be sure he had everything he needed, and all he wanted to do was leave. They seemed to notice his anxiety, and patted the Bantha he was to ride back. He nodded gratefully and mounted the creature.

"Thank you again," he said, lifting his hands to sign. "I know your supplies are few, yet you gave your help willingly."

He bowed his head and the Tuskens returned the gesture. One stepped forward.

"You killed the Krayt Dragon, 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯. This is the least our gratitude could supply," She said.

He nodded again and rode off, finally on his way to return to his kid.

~

Some nights were better than most. Most nights Cobb awoke to the child's cries. He did his best to comfort the little one but the most he could do was hold him, and whisper soothing words to him. Singing him a song seemed to help somewhat, but if it wasn't the sadness of losing his father it was the gripping-fear of nightmares the kid had been having. Cobb felt useless, and dejected.

He didn't let that get in his way, however. He was gonna take care of this kid, like he'd promised, best he could. So if staying up all night most nights meant eventually comforting the child, so be it.

Cobb began to miss the Mandalorian as well. Initially, it may have been for the child's sake. Now, he just missed hearing the man's voice, watching him move. Despite knowing him for such a brief time, the Mandalorian had a presence that made you pay attention. And if Cobb payed more attention to how the armour fit on the man's figure, well, he wasn't going to look too deep into that now.

There was also a layer of sadness you only get from missing someone you wish you'd known better. The kid was racked with grief. Cobb supposed he could've been too, had they met before all of this. He regrets not talking with him longer, regrets not finding a way to defeat the Krayt before the Mandalorian had taken drastic measures and sacrificed his life to kill the dragon. Cobb still felt responsible; he had been the one to ask such a favour from the man. Why couldn't he have just handed over the armour? Hindsight is 20/20, and Cobb wished he could've let go of his pride for just long enough to return the armour to its rightful owner. The death of the Mandalorian wasn't worth any of that.

Cobb glanced at the armour placed against his wall. He'd refused to put it back on after that day, too guilt-ridden to excuse a need for it.

The kid hiccupped in his arms, turning over in his sleep and burrowing further into Cobb's scarf. Cobb smiled sadly. He didn't know how he was going to pull this off, but a lifetime of caring for this kid wouldn't make up for losing the Mandalorian, so Cobb knew he'd stop at nothing to keep the child safe.

"Hang in there, little one," Cobb whispered against the child's head. "I've gotcha."

~

Din had slowly been losing hope, and the Bantha its speed, when the dome-like rooftops of Mos Pelgo were just visible on the horizon. Not wanting to waste his energy in case it was a mirage, he maintained a steady pace, stopping once to give the Bantha the rest of their water supply. When the pointed spires of the moisture generators were only a couple dozen yards away, Din noticed children playing in the street as parents looked on. His heart skipped a beat, searching for a small, long-eared, green head.

Once the Bantha reached the end of the street, it stopped in exhaustion. Din slid off and patted its side, removing the gear and various supplies the Bantha had also carried along. It sauntered over to a watering trough, grunting as it left.

Din turned towards the people of Mos Pelgo, still far enough away they hadn't seen him yet. Heart racing, he walked steadily down the desert road.

There was a cluster of children separate from the playing group, all sitting in a circle just outside the cantina and giggling together. Din supposed they'd gotten into some card game. He scanned the faces of the people present, looking for someone familiar. No red scarf in sight.

Then...

"Thank you kindly, Eran. I think the kid's all tuckered out now, though," a voice drawled from the direction of the cantina.

Din turned. There the Marshal stood at the step of the cantina with his hands on his narrow waist, a slight smile on his face and eyes squinting in the Tatooine sunlight that shone in his hair. Din momentarily lost his breath.

One of the children in the circle, a small girl, stood. She giggled and said "C'mon, little baby! The Marshal's gonna make ya nap now."

Din frowned until the rest of the kids got up from the circle and dispersed. In the middle of where they'd sat stood the child. Din gasped in relief, surging forward immediately.

The villagers noticed him now, but he hardly heard their cries of "The Mandalorian! He's alive!", too focused on his kid. The child had turned to him to see what all the fuss was about, and proceeded to squeal in delight and run towards Din.

When Din stood in front of the child he dropped to his knees and pulled the kid in close to his chest, his arms holding the child's small form tightly. He felt tears spring to his eyes, and he choked back a sob as the kid babbled with excitement. He briefly held his kid tighter, tilting his head down. The child's small hands gripped at his beskar and he cooed into Din's shoulder.

_Two weeks,_ Din thought, _It's been two weeks._

He pulled away, holding the child in his lap to inspect him closer. He pinched one of the kid's ears and the giggle that followed brought up a fresh wave of tears. He'd never had to think too deeply about how much he cared about the child before now. And Din realised now that this child - 𝘩𝘪𝘴 child - meant the galaxy to him.

"How're you doing, kid?" Din asked quietly, patting the child's head.

The kid cooed and babbled incoherently, as if telling a story. Din smiled, though only he would know.

Footsteps approached in front of Din, stopping just a few feet from where he knelt in the sand.

"What brings you here, stranger?" a voice above him asked.

Din glanced up to Cobb's smiling face. He swallowed thickly.

Cobb stretched out a hand and Din took it, standing with the child still in his arms. Cobb tweaked the kid's ear and he laughed again. Din was suddenly overwhelmed with his impulsive nature - something new and different - and pulled Cobb into a hug.

The Marshal stiffened at first, startled by the Mandalorian's random show of affection. Then he melted into Din's side, his arms wrapping around the beskar on his abdomen and one hand resting on the child's back.

"Thank you," Din rasped through his helmet's modulator.

"Anytime," Cobb replied, and he meant it.

Given the chance, force forbid it, he'd do it again. Anything for this kid and his dad.


	2. Tightrope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din Djarin has returned, against all odds. He and the child have healing to do. 
> 
> ~ 
> 
> Cobb easily opens his home to the Mandalorian and his kid. He easily cares for them, and helps where he can. What Cobb does not easily do, is avoid becoming attached. 
> 
> ~ 
> 
> Din marvelled at Cobb's effortlessly caring nature. The man never turned down an opportunity to help, not just Din but the people of Mos Pelgo as well. When Cobb manages to convince Din to rest at his house, Din is caught on the constant, nagging anxiety of moving on, continuing his quest to find Jedi, and never staying in one place for the kid’s safety. But, as Cobb would reason, he’s already two weeks behind; he could afford one more night. 
> 
> ~ 
> 
> "When you were gone..." Cobb trailed off, glancing up at the ceiling and then at Din, and the child in his arms. "It was rough. The kid missed you something awful," he paused, "Pretty sure we both did," he added quietly. 
> 
> Din held his breath. 
> 
> ~*~ 
> 
> "Type like I’ve known you for lifetimes, 
> 
> I can’t describe. 
> 
> Navigate it like a tightrope, 
> 
> And don’t mind the height. 
> 
> All I can do is keep hold of the moment." 
> 
> ~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tightrope by Chaz Cardigan, who is quickly becoming one of my new favourite artists, is SO dincobb. Please go check out his other songs too they're great.  
> I call this chapter an interlude of sorts, as the other chapters' songs/themes tie into each other, but not this one! this chapter had to go and be special. I also really love the number 5.  
> okay so the ~ means a time skip, and the - means a perspective skip, for example switching from cobb's pov to din's pov in the same scene will be represented by - . pov changes occur outside of the scenes too, and until Cobb learns DIn's name he's always The Mandalorian from cobb's perspective.

Din stepped awkwardly through Cobb's door, holding the child tightly. Cobb was standing in the central room, watching him. 

"I left the  armour against the wall there," Cobb said, gesturing in its direction. "I haven't worn it since, and I don't plan on wearing it again." He sighed. "After everything you did for us, I'm just glad you get the  armour back."

Cobb moved to sit on his couch towards the center of the room. Din stared at him for a moment, before taking a seat in the chair across from the couch. Din shifted into a more comfortable position, the child resting contentedly in his arms. 

"Thank you," he said again. 

Cobb shook his head, "No need, Mando.  Armour wasn't mine to keep." Cobb cleared his throat, "I've got you to thank, actually. Without your help the  Krayt Dragon would still be  terrorising this town. You've been a right blessing to me and my people." 

Din blushed under his helmet and lowered his head a bit, "That's not- I didn't mean the  armour . I meant, for the kid.” He nodded towards the sleeping child, “Thank you, again. For looking after him." 

Cobb grinned, and Din's chest fluttered. 

"You told me to, and I agreed that I would. Simple as that. 'Sides, the kid is great to have around. Life of the party," Cobb said smiling at the child in Din's arms. 

Din glanced down at his sleeping form, smiling himself. 

"He missed you, though," Cobb added, his voice turned  sombre . "Didn't sleep most nights you were gone. He cried, too. You ever seen this kid cry?" Cobb looked up at Din, his eyes heavy with sadness. "It's heartbreaking."

Din didn't know what to say to that, so he just held the kid tighter. 

"Where were you?" Cobb asked quietly after a long silence. 

Din sighed and glanced at him.

"I don't remember what happened after the  Krayt Dragon swallowed me. I must've blacked out. I awoke in the  Tusken camp not far from the  Krayt's old home. I was burnt from the acid, cut up in several places, and had a nasty concussion."

Cobb's eyebrows sprung up, "Damn, Mando." 

"The  Tuskens helped me heal," Din continued. "They used a special salve for the burns and cuts. I slept off the rest."

He paused, his head tilting back down to his kid. 

"It took every bit of my self control to not run back here myself. But the  Tuskens insisted I rest until I recovered. I don't think I'd have made it back alive otherwise." 

Cobb nodded, the frown around his eyes suggesting he was deep in thought. 

They sat in comfortable silence for a bit. Cobb was now draped against the armrest of his couch. Din could tell he was still thinking, but he looked at peace about it, whatever it was. Din suddenly found himself wanting to know what was going on in the Marshal's head. 

"Something on your mind?" Din asked softly. 

The child had finally fallen asleep against his chest. Din had the chance to move and put him in the pram, but he wanted to keep his kid as close as possible for now. 

"Ah, well," Cobb said, waving his hand in dismissal, " Nothin ' too important." 

He flashed Din a winning smile. It was distracting, but not enough, and Din still saw a darkness in his eyes. 

"Something is bothering you." 

Cobb's smile fell away and he glanced at the floor. 

"It's... It's like I said.  Nothin ' important." 

"Cobb."

Cobb glanced up suddenly at Din's use of his first name. Din felt his voice catch in his throat at the distress that shone in Cobb's hazel eyes. 

"If it bothers you," Din said slowly, shifting forward slightly so as not to disturb the child, "Then it is important." 

Cobb blinked at him for a few seconds, and Din began to worry that he'd said something wrong. 

Then the man sighed, and it was heavy and sad. 

"When you were gone..." Cobb trailed off, glancing up at the ceiling and then at Din, and the child in his arms. "It was rough. The kid missed you something awful," he paused, "Pretty sure we both did," he added quietly. 

Din held his breath. 

"I still feel like it was my fault. Turns out, you're  _not_ dead, and I'm mighty glad for that." Cobb inhaled deeply, "But I  coulda just given you the  armour . Saved you the trouble. Sure, the  Krayt Dragon would still be here, but you wouldn't have been injured, or separated from your kid, and he wouldn't have hurt so bad. Can't say that was worth any of it." 

Cobb rubbed a hand over his face tiredly. 

"I  shoulda just given you the  armour ," he whispered into his hand. 

Din's heart was racing again, "Cobb, it's- hey, look at me." 

He waited until Cobb reluctantly met his helmeted gaze before continuing. 

"I'm fine. I'm  not dead, and the kid is safe, thanks to you. I shouldn't have put the responsibility of caring for him on you, but you willingly did it anyway." Din paused, leaning back into the chair. "Had I been in your place, I wouldn't have given away the  armour either. You needed it to protect your village, and you had no way of knowing its cultural significance. It's not your fault in the slightest. Okay?" 

Cobb stared at him for a while, his frown never leaving his face. Then he closed his eyes, sighing. He looked at the floor.

"Alright," he said, sounding pained. "Okay. I-" he paused, "I appreciate that." 

He didn't sound like he believed it though. Din was about to reaffirm his statement when Cobb stood abruptly. 

"You should get the kid to bed," he said. "My room's in the back-" Cobb gestured down the hall, "Where you can park the kid's pram. Take my bed, and I'll kip on the couch." 

"I'm not taking your bed," Din said, standing. 

Cobb shook his head, frowning again. 

"I'm not taking no for an answer, Mando. You're injured, and you've had a long journey home," Cobb said. "Besides," he added, giving Din a small smile, "You need somewhere private to take off your helmet and  armour , spend some time with your kid."

And with that, Cobb exited the small central room and made his way to the kitchen. 

Din stared down at the child in his arms, sleeping peacefully. He sighed, and went to the back room. He tried not to focus on how Cobb had called this place Din’s “home”.

~

A little while later, Din heard a knock on the door. He slid his helmet back on and opened it to Cobb holding a tray of food. 

"I brought you  somethin ' to eat," he said, handing the tray to Din. "I'm not the galaxy's best cook, but I figure a decent meal is hard to come by for your kind. There's water too, which I'm sure you need." 

Din took the tray, his gloved fingers grazing Cobb's. 

"Thank you." 

They stood there for a bit, neither one of them sure how to continue any interaction. 

"Well," Cobb said finally, "I hope you sleep, Mando.  Lemme know if  ya need anything. I'll be out here," Cobb nodded towards the central room and walked off. 

Din let him get about halfway down the hall. 

"Cobb, wait." 

The Marshal stopped and turned, his face one of concern. As Din set the food tray on the dresser next to the door, he  marvelled at Cobb's effortlessly caring nature. 

Din stepped into the hall, approaching Cobb slowly. Cobb's gaze turned a little panicked, so Din put his hands out placatingly. He grabbed Cobb's arms gently, and Cobb frowned down at Din's hands. He didn't pull away though, which Din took as a good sign. He waited until Cobb looked back up at him. 

"Thank you," Din said softly. 

Then he pulled Cobb towards him. 

-

_The Mandalorian is hugging me_ , was the only thought that ran through Cobb's mind at that moment. _The Mandalorian is hugging me_ _again_ . 

Cobb once more melted into the man's arms, his own wrapped around the Mandalorian's shoulders. He was a bit taller than the Mandalorian, but his cheek was still pressed against the side of a  beskar helmet. He really didn't care. He was  gonna stay there as long as he could. 

It ended up being a long time. Well, longer than he'd ever expect. He felt glued to the Mandalorian, not wanting to hold on too long but not wanting to let go either. He thought he was dreaming, and was even more convinced of this when the Mandalorian began absentmindedly rubbing circles in Cobb's back with his gloved hands. Cobb was practically draped over the man, and he felt his mind wander to what other things he'd like the Mandalorian to do with those hands.

Before that thought could go anywhere dangerous, Cobb slowly and carefully peeled himself away from the embrace. He immediately missed the Mandalorian's warmth.

"Better?" the Mandalorian asked, his damn low voice sending shivers up Cobb's spine.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm-" Cobb inhaled deeply, "Thank you. You didn't have to do that."

"I know," replied the Mandalorian, "But you looked like you needed it."

Cobb huffed a soft laugh, "I ' spose you're right,  Mando ."

The Mandalorian grew silent. It wasn't exactly concerning, but Cobb didn't know how to go forward from here and he was damn sure the Mandalorian didn't know either.

Then the Mandalorian squeezed Cobb’s shoulders.

“It’s not your fault,” he said gruffly. “What I did, I did of my own free will. You didn’t force me into anything. Had I really been opposed to helping you, I could have easily killed you.”

Cobb glanced back up at him with a smirk, “You  tryna ’ make me feel better here?” he asked, his voice low and gravelly. 

The Mandalorian shook his head, and Cobb pretended the man was smiling under that helmet.

“My point is,” he sighed, “Don’t keep telling yourself any of this was your fault, because it wasn’t. Okay?”

The Mandalorian tilted his head slightly, as if to meet Cobb’s eyes at an angle, though Cobb couldn’t see his. He still hadn’t released his hold on Cobb’s shoulders, evidently waiting for an answer.

Cobb sighed, “Okay. Alright, Mando,” he lifted his hands in mock surrender, smiling tiredly. “I get it. I believe you.”

The Mandalorian dropped his hands to his sides where they swung awkwardly. Cobb wanted to laugh.

“Look,” Cobb started, “You head on to sleep now. I’ll be fine.”

The Mandalorian held his gaze for a moment.

“You’re not sleeping on your couch,” Mando said finally, his tone sharp and demanding.

Cobb rolled his eyes, “I already told you-“

-

“I don’t care,” Din interrupted. “You look like you haven’t slept in days, and from what you told me about the  _ kid’s _ sleep while I was gone, I’d say that’s true. You deserve rest too, Marshal.”

Cobb stared at him a moment, visibly struggling with his words.

“We could share,” Din said suddenly, before he could even think about it. “The bed is plenty big enough. I’m sure it’d be better on your back than that couch.”

Cobb continued staring at him, then at the couch, then back at his room, then up to Din’s face again. Din shifted uncomfortably, worrying once again if he’d crossed a line.

“Okay,” Cobb said suddenly. “Alright, then. Sure, we can share.”

Cobb brushed past Din on his way to the room. When he got to the doorway, he glanced back to the Mandalorian.

"You  comin '?" 

Din nodded once and followed Cobb in. 

~

The Mandalorian had removed all his  armour and was now down to his flight suit and helmet. Cobb shifted next to him on the bed, holding his breath. The bed really  _ wasn't _ big enough, but the Mandalorian was stubborn and wouldn't let Cobb get a word in otherwise.

_"What about your helmet?"_ he'd asked. _"You_ _tellin’ me you sleep with that on?"_

The Mandalorian had just stared at him. 

_"This is the way,"_ he replied. 

And nothing more was said about it. 

Now, Cobb struggled to not brush against the man, who - despite being shorter than Cobb - was considerably more muscular than himself. The child dozed in his pram, and the Mandalorian was  sleeping beside him. Cobb listened to the rise and fall of  the man’s breath and decided he wasn’t too mad about not getting to sleep just yet. It still felt surreal, not just seeing the  Mandalorian alive,  but being  there  with him , lying next to him and hearing him breathe. Cobb feared he’d wa ke up and it’d just be him and the kid again.

“You’re tense. Stop doing that,” the Mandalorian said suddenly.

Cobb startled and turned towards the bounty hunter’s voice. 

“Your shoulders,” the Mandalorian added, “They’re tense. There’s no need for that, especially when you’re meant to be relaxed.”

Cobb just shrugged, “Don’t think too much about it, Mando. We all get by on a few hours of sleep a day.”

“Don’t  make __ me move onto your couch,” the Mandalorian said, his tone implying he might prefer that.

Cobb suddenly realised he had inadvertently trapped the Mandalorian in bed with him.

“Oh man,  I’m sorry,” he turned to face the  Mandalorian , “I hadn’t meant to trap you here with me. I just wanted to look out for you, that’s all. Guess we both  figured this bed may be better for the other. But if you want to move out on the couch, I won’t stop you.”

The Mandalorian was still for too long.  Cobb’s nerves were all over the place.

“ Do you want me to go?”

The man’s voice was so quiet, Cobb could’ve convinced himself he’d imagined it.

“I want you to get a good night’s sleep  that’ll help you heal from all the injuries you’ve still got.  Wherever you think you could sleep best, that’s where I want  you,” Cobb answered , whispering now .

The Mandalorian stared for a bit longer, before turning onto his back.

“I’ll sleep fine here,” he said quietly.

Cobb nodded, smiling softly, and  rolled over onto his side , his back facing the Mandalorian.

“ G’night ,  Mando ,” he said quietly.

After a long pause, he heard a sigh.

“Good night, Cobb. And thank you.”

Cobb smiled to himself, feeling his consciousness sink  deeper into the mattress.

“Anytime.”

~

Cobb awoke to warmth spread across his side, and something hard against his forehead. He startled, blinking groggily, and stared down at the source of his discomfort. Somewhere in the middle of the night he had moved closer to the Mandalorian, who was still asleep in the exact same position Cobb last saw him in. Cobb’s left arm was draped over the Mandalorian’s stomach, and his forehead had been pressed against the man’s helmet. The only thing that had changed about the Mandalorian’s posture was that his right hand was currently holding Cobb’s left.

_ Shit. _

_ He probably thinks I’m the kid, _ Cobb thought, doing his best to slowly extract his hand from the  Mandalorian’s . When he was freed, he sat up, shaking his head.  _ Poor man trusts you enough to lay next to you, and you try to climb him in your sleep,  _ he thought, sighing heavily. At least he’d been spared any specific dreams that night.

Cobb stood and stretched, his back cracking. Out of habit, he found himself moving towards the child’s pram where he slept. Cobb smiled at him before leaning down to pick the kid up.

“Rise and shine, little one,” he whispered to the child. “Let’s get you out of here so your daddy can have a little extra sleep.”

He noticed the untouched food tray still on the dresser by the door. Cobb sighed, grabbing the tray with his other hand not holding the kid. He left quietly, carrying the child into the kitchen for breakfast.

~

Din woke up later in the day to an empty bed and a quiet room. He sat up quickly, looking immediately towards the kid’s pram. Empty. He breathed slowly, the memories of where he was and who would currently be watching the child rushing back. He got out of bed and had his  armour back on in record speed. He glanced around Cobb’s bedroom one more time, subconsciously committing it to memory, before leaving.

When he got out to the central room, Cobb was sitting on his couch holding the child. They were watching some sort of holofilm with pictures of various parts of Tatooine. Cobb looked up when Din entered and smiled.

“There he is,” Cobb said, turning off the  datapad . He set it next to him on the couch and stood, holding the child. “Did you sleep well, Mando?”

Din nodded, shifting awkwardly where he stood. The child smiled at him and held out his hands for Din to hold him. He moved forward and Cobb handed the kid over. The child babbled happily and tapped Din’s  cuirass , eliciting a chuckle from Cobb.

“He’s a good kid,” Cobb said, smiling softly. “You’ve raised him well.”

Din just nodded, and Cobb, sensing his awkwardness, went to the kitchen.

“Issa-Or, she’s a friend of mine, she brought us some breakfast. And good thing too,  ‘cause I know about three recipes and breakfast isn’t one of them.”

Cobb turned to smile at Din while he unwrapped something that sat on the stovetop. “You can take yours in the room, of course. The kid’s already  eaten, I’ll watch him for now if you’d like.”

Din nodded again. “Thank you,” he replied, walking over to Cobb.

Din gave the child a pat on the hand and handed him over to Cobb, who gave Din a new tray of food.

“And you better eat this one,” Cobb said, his voice suddenly strict. “I mean it, if I find that one still uneaten later on, I’ll tell Issa-Or you don’t like her cooking. She won’t take too kindly to that.”

“Noted,” he said, nodding.

Cobb laughed at that. Din wanted to hear it again.

“Get on out of here, Mando.”

~

Cobb came home from helping Werlo restock the cantina earlier than usual. It normally took them a couple of hours to unload and  organise everything, but today the Mandalorian helped. While the kid played outside with Eran and some of the other kids, he and the Mandalorian worked. He had done most of the talking, of course, but when the Mando  _ did _ have something to say, Cobb held onto every word.

Since the  Mandalorian’s return, Cobb knew he’d be heartbroken when the kid would have to leave; after spending two whole weeks watching after the child, he couldn’t imagine anyone else who wouldn’t be a little attached as well. Now, however, Cobb found himself dreading the  Mandalorian’s departure as well. Which really wasn’t any good. 

“We’re leaving tonight,” the Mandalorian said suddenly, as if reading Cobb’s mind.

Cobb frowned, “You’d wait ‘til dark? You know the nightcrawlers that live ‘round here? I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”

“We’ve already wasted enough time here,” the Mandalorian replied. “I have to get this one back to his people, and to do that, I need to seek out the  Mandalorians I came here in the first place to find.”

He didn’t say it harshly in the slightest, but Cobb still felt hurt that he’d been a disappointment to the Mandalorian. 

“Look, pal,” Cobb said, “Enough of that ‘ wastin ’ time’ nonsense. You needed rest and recovery, and the kid needed to see you again. I’m  tellin ’ you, leaving at dusk is a terrible idea, and it’ll only get you ambushed or robbed. That kid needs a safe journey back.”

His tone had switched to his "Marshal voice" without him noticing, but it seemed to get the  Mandalorian’s attention.

“What would you have us do? Stay another night and leave in the morning?” the Mandalorian said, his own tone one of impatience.

“Yes,” Cobb said, raising his eyebrows. “That’s  _ exactly  _ what I’d have you do.”

The Mandalorian didn’t say anything else, and Cobb took that as approval.

“What’s one more night?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Issa-Or is a canon star wars character, and she was briefly in the Aftermath trilogy by Chuck Wendig right beside our beloved corn bus man. She was a twi-lek, and as there were none in chapter 9 let's just pretend she travelled a lot.


	3. Moondust (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cobb struggles to keep himself from holding onto a man who is going to leave. For now, the Mandalorian needs rest, and some time with his kid. And Cobb is happy to provide a home, as much as the present company tears him apart. He feels caught in the sand, slowly drowning the longer the Mandalorian stays. But he doesn't want the man to leave. 
> 
> ~ 
> 
> Din Djarin is terrified. He hadn't planned on staying, and it's slowly revealing itself to be more of a hurt than help. He's never struggled with his heart before; and he certainly never considered any sort of romance to be something he'd encounter. For the Marshal's sake, and the kid's, he cannot stay. He had a quest he vowed to complete. 
> 
> But how could he resist staying when moving forward meant losing everything he'd ever cared about? 
> 
> ~ 
> 
> “I’m not used to this. To someone else-” 
> 
> “To someone else takin’ care of you?” Cobb interrupted. “Well, Mando. That’s the nice thing about Mos Pelgo; we take care of each other. And now,” he finished applying the new bandage, “That includes you.” 
> 
> ~*~ 
> 
> "The brightness of the Sun, 
> 
> Will give me just enough 
> 
> To bury my love 
> 
> In the Moondust." 
> 
> ~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amount of ships that fit Moondust by Jaymes Young is also insane lol but for the sake of this fic it fits the most. I have spoken.  
> I hope this has been enjoyable so far. I had fun writing it.  
> I know this isn't how flight suits work but PRETEND that the shoulder sleeve is detachable from the arm sleeve. I'll let Cobb see a little bit of DIn's injured shoulder but I cross the line at his whole ARM being exposed, oh the shame

One more night turned into another night turned into a week. Din still had no definite plans of departure.

Currently, Din was helping Cobb fix a  neighbour’s moisture generator. They worked in amiable silence, only speaking to ask for a hand or a tool. The kid played with the children nearby. 

The kid clearly loved it here. He got along well with the other children, who adored him. He’d started warming up to most of the townsfolk, including Werlo. He had plenty to eat and drink, and plenty of eyes looking out for him. This was perhaps the first time since rescuing the child that Din felt he could  _ maybe  _ relax, just a bit.

It was different than  Sorgan , too. Despite being in the middle of nowhere, the mass of trees surrounding it had made the village feel too exposed. And had Cara not been there, Din never would have seen that bounty hunter in time. Mos  Pelgo was open on all sides, and he could see miles in each direction. What’s more, it was extremely beneficial to have friendly relations with the local  tusken raiders, and that was going to be key in this town’s future success and safety. And as capable and kind as Din knew Omera to be, there was just something about Cobb that made Din want to stick around.

Something he’d ignore for as long as he could.

“Dank  farrik ,” he muttered suddenly under his breath.

He hadn’t told Cobb this, but just within the past few days, Din could feel the scar down his shoulder getting worse. Recently, he’d woken up – still on Cobb’s bed – to his shoulder and arm on fire. It had started to feel like someone had lodged a  vibroblade in it and left it there. There were times when he was in such pain, he was rendered completely speechless. He figured it was infected. The  tusken raiders were skilled in many forms of healing, but their skin mended faster than a human’s, and thus the bandage on his shoulder hadn’t been enough. He should stitch it, but he kept forgetting.

Din dropped the  hydrospanner he was using and rubbed his shoulder, wincing. When he brought his hand away, his gloves were covered in blood. He sighed heavily, knowing he couldn’t ignore the wound any longer.

He stood, attempting to leave without Cobb noticing, but as always, the  armour was too loud. Cobb looked up from where he was welding.

“You alright there, partner?” Cobb asked, concern in his voice.

“I’m fine. Shoulder wound reopened,” Din answered, trying to face his shoulder away from the Marshal in case it was visible on his cape. “I’ll be right back,”

“Now hang on there, pal. That looks like a lot of blood.”

So, hiding it didn’t work.

“Here,” Cobb set the tools aside and stood, “Let me help with that, we’ve got a med kit at the school, Eran's mom will know where.”

Din didn’t even get the chance to protest Cobb’s help; the Marshal jogged over to a woman nearby. They exchanged a few words and the woman nodded, gesturing Din over. He sighed again, resigning himself to more unneeded attention. 

-

They got to the school in good time, and while Eran’s mom was looking for the kit, Cobb was trying to keep his worry at bay.

“It’s been hurting for  _ how _ long, and you never told me?” he asked, glaring at the Mandalorian.

“It’s only been a few days. I figured it would just go away.”

Cobb scoffed, “Well, it didn’t, and now on top of it  _ probably _ being infected, the wound’s reopened and we  gotta stitch it.” He shook his head in disbelief, “What were you  _ thinking?”  _

The Mandalorian didn’t respond at first, and Cobb assumed he was being ignored by the bounty hunter. But then he sighed.

“I suppose I wasn’t,” he finally said.

Cobb sighed, taking pity on the man. He’d had a lot on his plate recently. Cobb supposed he couldn’t blame him.

“Well,  nothin ’ we can do about that now,” Cobb said.

Eran’s mother reentered the school room with a white kit marked with the red medic symbol.

“Thank you,  Clafri . I appreciate it,” Cobb said, taking the med kit from her.

She smiled, “No problem, Marshal.” She glanced at the Mandalorian, her gaze dropping to his bloodied shoulder. “You two need anythin’ else, I’m a holler away,” She added, and left them alone.

Cobb set the kit on a desk and gestured at the Mandalorian. 

“Get that cape and pauldron off, I’m not stitching you up through your  armour ,” he said, opening the kit and emptying its supplies.

The Mandalorian walked over to stand next to him, but didn’t move to take off any  armour . Cobb shook his head.

“Your people got rules about not removing your  armour for injuries?” he asked, glancing to his right where the Mandalorian stood.

“No,” he replied, but said nothing more.

“Is it me then? I don’t have to be the one stitching you up, if you don’t want.  Clafri doesn’t have as much experience as I do  stitching wounds, but she could get the job done.”

Cobb had to admit he felt a little hurt, but the Mandalorian shook his head.

“No. You’re fine,” he said, and finally removed his left pauldron. 

He set it on another desk nearby, and began removing his cape. Then he detached the sleeve from the rest of his suit, exposing the gash to the open air. The wound looked a lot worse beneath the armour. Cobb inhaled sharply; blood had begun dripping down the  Mandalorian’s arm, and the wound itself was surrounded by red, raised skin. Cobb looked over it carefully, taking mental notes about just how much  bacta he’d have to apply.

“Yup,” he said after a moment’s silence, “Definitely infected. It’s scabbed over in some parts, so it must’ve been like this since it started hurting you. Lucky you, we got some special salve here in Mos  Pelgo ,” Cobb reached for a bottle from the kit, “It’s meant for intense burns – we get those often ‘round here – but it also helps with infection and such. Soothes the burning skin.”

He slipped some med gloves on and began applying the salve to the outside of the wound. The Mandalorian gave no reaction, but Cobb assumed it hurt like hell. When he was done, he set the bottle down and switched to a cloth, gently dabbing at the blood. He  marvelled at how smooth the  Mandalorian’s tanned skin looked, even though all he could see was the wounded shoulder. Cobb worked in silence. He managed to stitch up the cut nice and easy, and was applying a  bacta patch when the Mandalorian finally spoke. 

“At the covert, we would stitch our own wounds.”

Cobb paused, looking up at the Mandalorian.

“ So we would become less reliant on others. More independent. We all had the covert’s support, but we knew our work was to be done individually. Too many  Mandalorians above ground meant a better chance of being caught. Which, of course, would lead to the covert being found. And enemies-” he stopped suddenly, then shook his head, “Enemies of the  Mandalorians would never pass up a chance to attack us. To remain hidden meant working alone. This was the way.”

Cobb listened to the Mandalorian intently. 

“I’m sorry, I-” the Mandalorian paused, turning his head towards the door. “I’m not used to this. To someone else-”

“To someone else takin’ care of you?” Cobb interrupted. “Well, Mando. That’s the nice thing about Mos  Pelgo ; we take care of each other. And now,” he finished applying the new bandage, “That includes you.”

The Mandalorian glanced down at his shoulder, perhaps trying to see it, though Cobb figured the helmet didn’t let him.

“Thank you,” he said, moving to reattach his sleeve and pauldron.

Cobb smiled wide, “Anytime.”

~

A now healing infected wound meant a few more days’ rest. In moments of weakness Din wondered if they’d ever truly be able to leave. 

The child was having the time of his life. He played with the other children, he ate until he was full, he slept whenever he needed. He was the happiest Din had ever seen him. And knowing they would have to leave was enough to break his heart. Din began to wish they could stay, if only for the child’s sake. But with the kid in mind came the reminder that he had a purpose now, a quest, and the child had a people he needed to be returned to. And so, they could not stay. But for now, Din was content letting the child play in the evenings as he watched the suns set from Cobb’s front doorsteps.

“Come with me to the cantina tonight,” Cobb said on one such evening. “I know you can’t drink in front of others, but it’d be good for you to get out and  socialise with the people.”

Din frowned.

“Everyone’s been dying to get to know you,” Cobb added. 

He sat down on the steps and was encouraging the child’s playing with some rocks. Din observed for a minute before responding.

“I can’t,” he said, moving to sit down next to Cobb. “We have to go soon anyway, there’s no point in socialising.”

Cobb chuckled, “No point?” he asked, “You’ve been here for almost a month now and everybody here feels like they don’t  know you.”

“You know me,” Din said, frowning again.

“Do I?” Cobb asked, halting his play with the child to stare at Din. “I know you don’t sleep well at night. I know you never pay any attention to yourself or your needs; I know your priority is the kid. I know you can fight well, shoot well, and I know you’re good-”

“Good at killing?” Din interrupted, turning to match the Marshal’s gaze.

Cobb smirked, shaking his head.

“That’s right,” 

Cobb tossed another rock to the kid, who squealed in delight. 

“But do I know  _ you? _ ” he asked again. “Who are you, really?”

Din didn’t respond, unsure really of how to do so.

“I’m a Mandalorian,” he said finally. “I swore the Creed, I protect the kid, and I never remove my helmet.”

Satisfied with his answer, Din leaned back a bit, folding his arms over his chest. His shoulder still throbbed.

“Now, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to mock my intelligence.”

Din sat up straight again, meaning to argue. Cobb held up a hand.

“Like I said, I know better. But I also know there’s much more to you than that.”

Din relaxed again, watching as the kid sat in the sand, tired now from a good while playing. 

“Come to the cantina with me,” Cobb said again, leaning closer to Din, “I’m not asking.”

A smirk danced on the man’s lips, and Din already knew he’d lost.

“Fine,” he said, his tone one of reluctant disinterest. “But I’ll leave early, and I won’t drink.”

Cobb grinned, “Deal.”

~

They left the kid asleep but under  Clafri’s care. She and Eran had to get up earlier for school the next day, so she had no want to be at the cantina that night.

Cobb’s hands were shaking slightly with nerves. If he could just hold it together for a few more minutes he could drink the shakes away with some  spotchka . 

The people of Mos  Pelgo didn’t generally do large gatherings, but there were definitely more people in the cantina than usual. Cobb figured it’d be good for the Mandalorian.

They took seats at the bar and Cobb waved at Werlo.

“Same as always, Marshal?” Werlo asked, smirking.

Cobb grinned back, “You know me, old friend.” 

Werlo set a cup and a flask of  spotchka in front of Cobb and moved on to serve other patrons. Cobb poured himself a cup, nodded at the Mandalorian, and took a sip. The Mandalorian was staring at him, but for all Cobb could see, his eyes could be closed under that helmet.

“You alright under there?” Cobb asked.

The Mandalorian started nodding as if in a trance. Then he shook his head suddenly. “Yes,” he said, “I’m fine.”

Cobb nodded, confused. But very well.

“Nice to see you here, Marshal!” a voice exclaimed from behind Cobb.

He turned, and smiled upon  recognising the man.

“Sef, how are you?” he asked, extending a hand.

The other man shook it graciously, smiling back.

“Been well, certainly been better since that dragon’s been gone.” He paused, glancing at the Mandalorian from around Cobb’s shoulder. “I ‘ spose we all got you to thank for that?”

The Mandalorian didn’t respond.

Sef chuckled, “Not a man of many words, ay? That’s alright. Nice to see you here though, the Marshal’s been  keepin ’ you all to himself for long enough.”

The Mandalorian tilted his head and Cobb coughed, heat rising up his neck.

“So,” he said, turning back to  Sef , “I haven’t gotten to talk with you recently – what have you been up to?”

“Oh, quite a lot. Remember that old speeder I told you about?”

Cobb nodded, “Yeah, the load of scrap metal you salvaged from the Dune Sea.”

Sef chuckled, “Yeah, well. I’ve gotten its structure back together, looks like a real speeder now.”

-

As they talked, Din shifted awkwardly in his seat. He didn’t know this man, Cobb had hardly introduced him, but he seemed to have a closer relationship with the Marshal than any of the other villagers. Din clenched his jaw slightly, not willing to  acknowledge why he suddenly felt so possessive. 

“Yeah?” Cobb said, continuing their discussion. “Is it  runnin ’ yet?”

“Oh sure, it’s not completely safe yet, but she runs. Hums like a beauty.”  Sef leaned against the counter, his head tilting closer to Cobb’s. “Come by my  houe some time, and I’ll show you.”

Din felt himself involuntarily shift forward, catching both men’s attention. He paused, frowning, and then sat back in his seat again. He honestly had no idea why he was reacting this way to one of Cobb’s... Friends.

Cobb turned back to  Sef , “Well, maybe  some time .”

He took another sip of  spotchka , and Din watched his throat as he swallowed.

Sef was handed a drink of his own from Werlo, and he took a generous sip. He and Cobb began another conversation about blasters or something, Din stopped listening exactly. Instead, he watched how Cobb’s eyes lit up when he talked, and how he smiled with his whole face. Din swallowed thickly and forced himself to glance away. 

“You know I saw you fighten’ that dragon, Marshal. You were pretty impressive.”

Cobb laughed awkwardly, “Ah, well, just  doin ’ my job. And the Mandalorian did most the work,” he said, pointing his thumb back at Din and smiling.

Din felt an odd sensation in his chest.

“Oh, for sure,”  Sef said. “But it was nice  watchin ’ you out there, Marshall. I missed your action against the  minin ’ collective, and – not that I ever doubted your skill – it was quite a treat to see you fighting.” 

Sef leaned even closer, lowering his voice a bit. “What other skills you got up your sleeve, Marshal?”

This time Din stood abruptly. “Sorry,’ he said. “I need some air.”

Din left the cantina, standing just to the side of the door. He took a deep breath, trying to make sense of the mixed emotions he was feeling. He was only alone for a few seconds before he heard someone approach from behind. He turned to see Cobb coming to stand next to him.

“You alright pal?” Cobb asked, frowning. “You don’t have to stick around here; I’m sorry if anything made you uncomfortable.”

“I’m fine,” Din answered quickly. Then he sighed, “I just... Needed to be out of there.”

Cobb nodded, “Hey, that’s alright. Do you  wanna go home?”

Once again, Din was caught off guard by Cobb referring to his house as Din’s home. It seemed to mean much more now, and Din’s heart was in his throat.

“I’ll go pick up the kid from  Clafri’s and head back,” he  said after a pause.

“Okay,” Cobb replied. “I’ll come with you.”

“No,” Din said, turning towards the Marshal, “You stay here, enjoy your night. I don’t mean to take this away from you. You can go... Go back to your conversation with Sef. I’ll be alright.”

Cobb didn’t respond for a bit.

“Is that what this is about?” he asked finally. “Me and  Sef ? He’s a flirt, I don’t take much of what he says seriously.”

“No, it’s not, I-” Din sighed, “I’m just tired.”

Cobb raised his eyebrows, “You admittin’ that you’re tired? Man, something must really be bothering you.” 

_ You have no idea, _ Din thought.

“Well, I’m  comin ’ back with you, whether you’d like me to or not. I think I’m also done ‘round here,” Cobb added.

Din smiled softly beneath his helmet. He couldn’t deny the Marshal a chance to act on his caring heart.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

~

_ Din wasn’t used to bearing so much skin to others. Even sleeping in Cobb’s bed, he’d had his flight suit to cover him. Said suit was now on the floor, and all that Din could focus on was Cobb’s hands running up his sides and chest as Din groaned on top of him. He kissed the Marshal’s jaw; he didn’t remember taking the helmet off, but his momentary panic was replaced by the feel of Cobb’s tongue on his lips. He moaned the man’s name, and Cobb inhaled sharply through his teeth. _

~

Din sat up suddenly, shaking his head roughly. He gasped at the feel of his helmet still on his head. And as he regained consciousness, he also noticed his flight suit was in fact still on. He glanced to his right where Cobb slept peacefully, also fully clothed, despite the view Din’s dream had provided him. He sighed heavily, feeling sick. The Marshal had opened his home to Din and the child, and here he was having wet dreams about the man while he slept not a foot from himself. 

Din got up from the bed as slowly and quietly as he could. He stared at the pram where the child also slept soundly. He sighed again. 

_ A wretch in a house of saints, _ he thought to himself, being reminded of an old Mandalorian phrase meant to keep the Covert from seeking intimate relationships. 

_ Seek purity;  _ _ honour _ _ our constraints. _

~ 

“You were up early, this morning,” Cobb said, sitting on his couch and cleaning his blaster.

The child was napping, and a sandstorm raged outside.

“I needed some air,” Din replied. “I didn’t wake you, did I?” 

“No,” Cobb quirked an eyebrow, “But I did wake up to an empty bed, and your side was cold. Did you sleep at all last night?”

Din shut his eyes, frowning.

“Hardly,” he answered quietly, still feeling shame from his dream.

“If you’d like to go nap with the kid, you’re welcome to,” Cobb said, setting the blaster down and getting up to stand next to Din. “You could close his pram and take that helmet off – I know you don’t get to much.”

Din startled at Cobb’s proximity, and – wanting to put as much distance between himself and the unsuspecting Marshal – stepped back. Cobb’s face fell, and Din wished he could explain himself. 

_ Abstinence is your only hope. _

“I-” Din cleared his throat, “I’ll be fine.”

He left Cobb standing by window and sat in the small chair in the corner.

_ This is the way _ .

~

The sound of a child crying startled Cobb from his sleep. The Mandalorian continued to breathe evenly beside him. Cobb knew he certainly needed the rest, and so he stood from the bed and moved quickly over to the child’s pram.

“Hey there, little guy,” he said softly, lifting the kid and holding him close. “I’ve gotcha, it’s alright.”

The child calmed in his arms but tears still fell from his big brown eyes.

Cobb smiled at him and left the room quietly.

Holding the quivering child close he was reminded of those two weeks spent without the Mandalorian. How he’d ached for the child, how each cry cut into Cobb’s heart. The Mandalorian was alive, sleeping in the next room, and Cobb knew this, but he still hurt for the kid. He knew all too well that nightmares had a habit of persisting even when the source of such fear had disappeared. He held the child closer, and began humming to him softly.

The child eventually stopped crying, but his ears were drooped and his eyes  still carried sadness. Cobb switched to singing an old song his mother had taught him when he was a boy, before she died. The child perked up,  recognising it from when Cobb had sung it to him before. He began to smile softly, and Cobb smiled back. The kid was  gonna be okay.

-

Din watched from the end of the hallway, just out of sight. The child fell back asleep in Cobb’s arms, but the man still held him close. Din’s heart clenched and his eyes watered, threatening tears.

He really was in over his head. They  _ had _ to leave.

But as Din silently returned to the room, he thought of where this journey, this quest he’d been given, would take them. How could he resist staying here, when moving forward meant losing all he’d ever cared about?

But for the child’s sake, for his sake, for  _ Cobb’s  _ sake, he knew they had to go. And it was going to hurt a lot more than he’d planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had an infected wound on my shoulder before so I know for a fact it feels like you've had the inside of your arm soaked in lava and someone is repeatedly clawing it. It hurts.  
> Clafri and Eran are original characters, though I picture Eran as that little brunette girl we see helping the older man clean up after the Krayt dragon rolls through mos pelgo  
> Drinking game for this fic - take a shot every time Cobb says "I've gotcha" or "it's alright" sdjfhsdjg


	4. Moondust (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come for Din and the Child to leave, and for Cobb to watch them go. None of them are ready. 
> 
> And yet, neither Din nor Cobb seem to be able to say a single word otherwise. 
> 
> Would that the child could speak. 
> 
> ~ 
> 
> "You miss him, don't you?" 
> 
> Grogu looked up at Din, tilting his head. He cooed sadly, as if he understood. 
> 
> Din sighed heavily and dropped back against his chair. 
> 
> "Yeah. I miss him too." 
> 
> ~*~ 
> 
> "I long to hear your voice 
> 
> But still, I make the choice, 
> 
> To bury my love 
> 
> In the Moondust." 
> 
> ~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to another round of These Two Are Literally Married And It's Infuriating That Every Single Person Knows It Except For Them!   
> Moondust gets TwO chaPTerS???? yeah so does It Will Come Back by Hozier your point?  
> wtf was that thing Ran said in chapter 6  
> "Is that... Gratitude? I thought so" something like that, what an ass anyways that's me @ anyone who complains about moondust getting two chapters DSHGJSJDF  
> This chapter is short anyways and yeah lol ANGST, HELLO  
> Mikayla baby I'm so sorry for this whole thing sdjhfdj  
> its 4am im die

Once the sandstorm had passed,  Clafri offered to watch the child for the day so Cobb and the Mandalorian could help others clean up and rearrange anything that’d fallen over in the gusts.

“Whether it’s a  Krayt Dragon or a sandstorm, Mos  Pelgo seems to always be in some sort of trouble,” the Mandalorian said.

Cobb laughed, “It’s true. And if it’s not the elements it’s the occasional bandit.” He finished dusting someone’s speeder. “Good thing you got us to become friendly with the T uskens , it’s been a real help.”

He glanced over at the market, where two  tusken raiders were currently attempting to communicate with Werlo. They threw their hands up in frustration, and Werlo cried “Well how am  _ I _ supposed to know what you’re saying?” 

Cobb chuckled, “Well, it will be.”

When he turned back around, the Mandalorian was staring at him. The man quickly glanced down, and Cobb smirked.

“You  wanna come with me and check on the kids’ school supplies?” Cobb asked, “Their storage unit is old, and opens a lot. We should just make sure everything is in place.”

The Mandalorian glanced back up at him. “Alright,” he said.

They stood, and Cobb led him back to the school house.

The storage unit was just outside the school, and sure enough, one of the doors was off its hinges. Cobb sighed.

“Looks like I was right to be concerned,” he said.

He and the Mandalorian grabbed each side of the door and set it back in its frame. Then they went inside and began replacing all of the fallen supplies. The storage unit itself was only a little bit bigger than the average refresher, and their biggest struggle was  maneuvering around each other. 

It was bound to happen, perhaps, that the Mandalorian should stumble over some supplies, what with his extensive  armour and limited peripheral vision. Cobb moved to help him, and the Mandalorian grabbed Cobb’s waist, steadying himself. He breathed out, and Cobb shivered at the man’s touch.

“Say, Mando,” Cobb said, “If you wanted to get handsy with me in close quarters you didn’t have to wait to take me here.”

The Mandalorian whipped his head up to look at Cobb, who laughed.

“Relax, it’s alright.”

“Sorry,” the Mandalorian said quietly, releasing Cobb’s hips.

Cobb felt bad for the poor guy. He probably shouldn’t have flirted with him, but he couldn’t help it. 

He held up a hand, “No need. Now, help me get these  datapads back in their cases.”

-

They worked in silence from then on. Cobb hummed quietly, completely unaware of Din’s inner turmoil. He knew Cobb’s flirting was friendly, teasing, but it had made his heart beat intensely just the same. Currently, he wanted nothing more than to slam the Marshal against the back wall of the storage unit and watch the man come undone beneath his hands. But he wasn’t ever going to admit that, and once more he felt sick at his thoughts for going so far.

And the longer he stayed, the worse it got.

~

“We have to leave,” Din said a few evenings later. “It’s been too long.”

Cobb nodded slowly.

“I knew you’d have to leave eventually,” Cobb said, sitting next to Din on his doorstep. “I won’t lie, I’m  gonna miss you and the kid,” he added, exhaling deeply, “But I understand.”

Din watched the child play with Eran and her friends. The school day had ended, and they were now using ropes to jump and dance over. The kid giggled with delight. He couldn’t jump yet, but Eran had fun lifting him up and over the rope each time it swung down. Din found himself smiling. He was going to miss this place.

“Just remember you’ve always got a place here, okay?” Cobb said, staring at Din. “You and the kid, anytime you need. We’ll be here.”

Din turned to glance at Cobb. He admired the man’s face, the way his eyes reflected the suns, and his lips parted slightly after he spoke. He knew he’d miss the Marshal the most, and that scared him.

“Thank you,” he said quietly.

Cobb smiled, and Din had to look away.

~

“You sure you got everything you need?” Cobb asked. He'd been  helping the Mandalorian and his kid get packed in a frenzy. “You got the armour, right?”

“Cobb,” the Mandalorian said, “We’ve got it. We’ll be fine.”

Cobb would’ve been hurt by his dismissal, but he could hear a smile in the  Mandalorian’s voice. A voice he’d gotten quite used to hearing.

Stars, he wasn’t ready to watch them go.

He smiled back, “I know that. Let me worry about you,  ‘cause you sure don’t.”

The Mandalorian huffed a small laugh, and Cobb felt his face heat up.

The child babbled at Cobb’s feet, and he stooped to pick the little creature up. He tweaked one of the kid’s ears, and the child giggled. Cobb’s heart melted.

“You keep takin’ care of this little one,” Cobb said, turning to smile at the Mandalorian. “He’s a bag of trouble and then some.”

The Mandalorian nodded steadily. The child reached for him and Cobb handed him over. The Mandalorian patted his back gently, leaning his helmet down to meet the kid’s eyes.

“He’s got a great father,” he added, watching the child.

The kid babbled at Cobb as if he could understand what he’d said. 

“Safe travels among the stars,” Cobb added.

When Cobb glanced back up, the Mandalorian was staring at him. They watched each other for a bit, and Cobb shifted under the tension.

“Thank you again, for taking us in,” the Mandalorian said finally.

Cobb smiled, “Like I said, anytime. And thank you for killing that terrible leviathan. Mos  Pelgo is much better off for it.”

He extended his hand and the Mandalorian took it.

“It was my pleasure,” he said.

Cobb knew his face was getting red again, what with how gently yet firmly the Mandalorian was gripping his hand. 

“I hope our paths cross again,” Cobb said sincerely.

“As do I,” the Mandalorian replied.

They released each other's hands, and the Mandalorian reached to place the child on his speeder. Cobb noticed the  armour was indeed strapped to the bike, and his attention was drawn to the damaged jetpack.

“Oh,” he said, getting the  Mandalorian’s attention, “And you tell your people I wasn’t the one that broke that.”

Cobb smirked at the Mandalorian who nodded again as Cobb stepped away. He mounted the speeder, the child secure at his side. 

“See you around, Mandalorian,” Cobb said.

The Mandalorian paused, glancing up at Cobb.

“It’s Din,” he said suddenly. “Din Djarin.”

Cobb grinned, knitting his brow in slight confusion.

“There are others who know my name, against my will,” the Mandalorian – Din  Djarin – added, “But I want you to know it.”

And Cobb wanted to kiss him.

“I’m  honoured , Din  Djarin ,” he said instead, smiling wide.

Din  Djarin nodded once, and then turned on the speeder. He glanced at Cobb one last time, and then sped away.

“See you around, Din,” Cobb said to the wind.

~

Din switched off the cockpit lights, settling in his chair for some rest. They were on their way to the planet Tython, per Ahsoka’s request. Din was still reeling over how close he’d come to losing the kid. It’d been a long day.

Now, the child –  _ Grogu _ – sat contentedly in his lap, watching the stars in silence. He was far too still, and though his eyes were open Din feared something was wrong.

“You alright, kid?” he asked, leaning forward and turning the child to meet his eyes.

Grogu lowered his gaze, his ears drooping. He looked sad. He was also clutching something small in his hands. Din frowned and gently took it from his grasp. It was a small rock, like those Grogu had played with often back on Tatooine. But this one was different; engraved in its otherwise smooth surface were five words.

“Safe travels among the stars,” Din read aloud. 

Grogu tilted his head up, making a curious sound. Din suddenly remembered who he’d last heard say that phrase, and felt his heart ache again.

_ Cobb _ .

“You miss him, don't you?" 

Grogu looked back up at Din. He cooed sadly, as if he understood. 

Din sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. 

"Yeah. I miss him too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah so that bit where they're in the storage unit,,, I literally only wrote that so Cobb could make an innuendo for Din to panic over dgdhfjshdf  
> IM SO SORRY I MADE COBB SAY "faTheR" LIKE SOME PRETENTIOUS LITTLE SCHOOL BOY I WAS JUST TOO COWARDLY TO MAKE HIM SAY "DADDY" TO DIN'S FACE, IM A FAILURE  
> Yes din does in fact lament almost losing the child in chapter 13 despite what we know happens in the later chapters, do not come to me speaking of dramatic irony I will smite your livestock  
> That little rock that Cobb engraved for Grogu makes its one and only appearance in this chapter im sorry i thought about it while i was having an anxiety attack and i thought itd be cute at the time but now i think its too cringey so i removed it elsewhere


	5. I Will Come Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps it was punishment: the inevitable consequence of all of Din's actions thus far, a wake-up call for all the emotions he’s refused to acknowledge. 
> 
> Perhaps it could be a simple coincidence that his next bounty was on Tatooine. It was a popular pit of crime. But on Mos Pelgo? That was too much for Din to excuse as a fluke. 
> 
> Glancing at the Nav computer, Din felt a wave of nausea, and utter contempt for the force itself. 
> 
> ~ 
> 
> Din had the child again. But when Grogu had first been taken, when DIn's heart had first been broken, in the back of his mind had always been the regret. And Din had scoured the debris of the Razor Crest, wondering. 
> 
> What if they had stayed? 
> 
> ~*~ 
> 
> "I will come back." 
> 
> ~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im proud of this. its certainly not my best but im happy with where it ended. i hope you are too. this was lots of fun for me, and i appreciate anyone who reads this <3  
> for the sake of convenience we shall pretend din acquired a new ship somehow idk its star wars baby make it work  
> also notice how i answer ch16 questions without answering them at all SDJFHSDJ i tried to not let any bias seep into how i thought it was gonna go but i did put some of my own insight into it

Perhaps it was punishment: the inevitable consequence of all of Din's actions thus far, a wake-up call for all the emotions he’s refused to acknowledge. He checked the puck again, and then the tracking fob blinking slowly in his hand. 

Perhaps it  _ could _ be a simple coincidence that his next bounty was on Tatooine. It was a popular pit of crime. But on Mos Pelgo? That was too much for Din to excuse as a fluke.

Glancing at the Nav computer, Din felt a wave of nausea, and utter contempt for the force itself. He punched in the coordinates in haste, turning to look at the child.

“Buckle up, kid. We’re going back to Tatooine.”

Grogu smiled and clapped his hands. Din felt overwhelming joy, in that moment. Joy that he finally got to be with his kid again. Joy that he could look at Grogu with his eyes rather than through a tinted visor. The galaxy was so much brighter than he remembered. And he was reminded again of how Grogu was the one responsible for bringing such light back into his life. That same child who was now giggling in his seat.

“Looks like you already knew where we were going, huh? That Skywalker has taught you a lot so far?”

Grogu babbled, probably meaning to explain his training in depth to his father. Din chuckled.  _ Guess Skywalker couldn’t be bothered to teach him a few words,  _ he thought.

Still, Din listened intently to what his kid was saying, unwilling to let a single moment go where he wasn’t paying his utmost attention to Grogu.

That year without him had been the hardest one of his life. Not to mention having to resolve the issue of Din becoming the unwilling ruler of Mandalore, the tension that caused with Bo-Katan, and not having a ship of his own. But he did what was best for Grogu at the time, even if it only hurt them both in the end. 

Now, he was headed back to Mos  Pelgo . Din couldn’t count the number of times he’s had to confront and come to terms with emotions he’d always ignored in just the past year.

Din checked the coordinates once more, not willing to get his hopes up. When the dust spot that housed the small town of Mos  Pelgo blinked back at him, he finally relaxed against his seat.

~

Cobb could say he was still struggling, now almost two years later, but his time with the Mandalorian had been short - however sweet - and, believe it or not, he’d had work to do. 

Cobb had never seen Mos  Pelgo busier in all his life. Their friendship with the  Tusken Raiders brought a wave of benefits for both parties that no one expected. And with that came tourists,  travellers , explorers, and immigrants. Cobb had worried he'd lose his purpose as Marshal, what with the  Krayt having been killed. But that was far from the truth, and as Cobb stared out at the bustling crowds and shops now lining the road, he could think on the Mandalorian and smile fondly, nothing more. 

Or so he liked to tell himself. 

Cobb walked the bustling streets of Mos Pelgo, waving at the locals and the tourists. A few  tuskens spotted him and came over, patting his shoulder by way of greeting. He smiled, signing “Good day,” to them, and moving on. He’d learned a bit of their  langauge – enough to communicate fairly well – but he hadn’t gotten the grunting down yet. Maybe someday.

A ship flew overhead and Cobb glanced up at it. He’d gotten used to hearing ships fly overhead. Sure, they still weren’t as busy as Mos Eisley, but the traffic was consistent. Cobb smiled and set off to the cantina.

~

Din touched down just outside the town’s borders. He’d first landed at Mos Eisley, but Peli informed him of Mos  Pelgo’s recent success and said he should take his ship there, save himself the extra travelling in between. He wasn’t sure how true her word would be, but upon flying over the old town. He could hardly see the sand beneath the crowds in some spots.

“Ready, kid?”

Grogu cooed happily, playing with the rock Cobb had gifted him.

“Grogu,” Din said, picking up the child, “Don’t get too excited, alright? We’re here for a bounty that will put food in your belly for months, not to stay.”

Grogu just smiled up at him. He knew Din could be all talk.

He sighed, “Maybe someday, we’ll come back here for good. But you’ve still got training to finish.”

He no longer dreaded the day he’d once again have to leave Grogu with the other Jedi; it only took a few months for Luke Skywalker to  recognise the close bond Din had with his son. He’d contacted Din and asked for his involvement in Grogu’s training. And sure enough, within a few days of Din’s arrival Grogu’s progress had significantly increased. And so, Skywalker allowed him to stay.

_ “I lost my father,”  _ Luke had said _ , “I didn’t want this one to lose his, too.” _

Din entered Mos  Pelgo with Grogu in his arms, and his helmet – temporarily – on his head.

~

“Good seeing you here, Mando!” Werlo greeted cheerfully from behind the bar. “You had the Marshal in quite the funk last time you left; what took you so long?”

Din frowned in confusion, “I’m here for a bounty, nothing more.”

“Ooh,” Werlo chuckled, “Cold. Well, if it’s a bounty you seek, I may be able to help.” He leaned over the bar conspicuously, “Marshal’s made me the unofficial watchdog of visitors. I keep tabs on ‘ em , make sure they’re not causing problems. And if they are, ho, the Marshal deals with ‘ em quick.”

Werlo slapped the bar, and Din startled.

“Say, the Marshal just left here not an hour ago; you should get him to help you find that bounty, see him in action,” Werlo suggested. “Don’t think  _ I’ve  _ ever seen him so lively before. ‘Least, not in a long time.”

“I have seen him in action,” Din replied impatiently, “I know he’s good, but I need to get this guy before he escapes again.”

Werlo held up his hands in mock surrender, “Okay, Mando, very well. So, tell me. Who  ya lookin ’ for?”

Din sighed, and told him. Werlo ended up being a great help; the  Weequay even knew where the bounty was currently staying. Din thanked him, and left.

There was nothing he wanted more than to go find Cobb, ask him to join his hunt, and maybe tell him a few things Din had figured out in the year he’d been away. One such thing being his feelings for the other man. But the thought of doing so made him feel sick again. He figured he’d just avoid the Marshal entirely.

But he knew he wouldn’t be able to do it. There was no way he’d get this close to Cobb again, and allow himself to walk away without seeing him.

This was going to be a long day.

~

When Cobb headed back to the cantina after a long day’s work, he was expecting a few stragglers to have stayed past closing hours. What he  _ hadn’t _ expected was a crowd gathered just outside the cantina, shouting and jeering at something in the center. He shook his head and sped up his pace, already thinking of ways to stop the fight without anyone getting hurt.

However, as he got closer, he  realised it wasn’t a fight the crowd was watching at all. It was a Rodian, teal and snarling, and he was being held down by a very familiar  armoured figure.

Cobb halted in his tracks, and swallowed hard. 

The crowd noticed their Marshal standing nearby and parted ways. The Mandalorian –  _ Din  _ _ Djarin _ _ –  _ glanced up from where he was still wrestling down the Rodian. He stopped moving, then. The Rodian paused as well, wondering what could’ve gotten his captor’s attention so quickly. 

They stared at each other for a long time. Then Werlo exited the bar, took one look around, and chuckled loudly, breaking the silence.

“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, Marshal! The  Mandalorian’s back in town.”

Werlo chuckled again and left the scene.

Cobb’s gaze hadn’t left Din’s visor.

He cleared his throat, remembering his duties, “Alright everyone, clear out. The  Mandalorian’s got this handled.”

The crowd dispersed, chatting animatedly about what they’d seen,

Cobb held Din’s gaze.

When all the stragglers were gone, he stepped forward, and tossed Din his taser.

“Use it on that thing so he stops squirming,” Cobb said, nodding down at the Rodian.

The Rodian cried out in protest, but fell silent as soon as Din used the taser. He stood, handing the taser back to Cobb, and wiped his gloved hands against his sides. Cobb watched his movements with interest. 

The Mandalorian reached down and lifted the Rodian under the arms. Cobb snapped out of it and offered to stow the villain in their new jail cells for the time being. Din accepted the offer, and they moved the Rodian to his cell.

Din glanced over at Cobb.

“So,” he said, and gestured to the empty cantina across the street, “Drinks on me?”

~ 

Cobb listened to Din’s entire explanation with no interruption, and for that, Din was grateful. He didn’t think he’d make it through otherwise. The child babbled occasionally, as if trying to input his own opinions or observations. Each time, Cobb smiled at him, but that smile dropped when he refocused on Din’s words.

Din just wanted to take his damn helmet off already.

When he finished talking, Cobb nodded slowly. They sat in silence for a few more moments, Din growing increasingly anxious about how Cobb would respond. Finally, the man chuckled softly.

“You two sure have been through a lot these past few years huh?” he said, smiling wide. He leaned forward to pat the child’s head. “Grogu?” Grogu cooed and tilted his head at Cobb, which only made the man’s smile grow. 

Din felt his heart beginning to melt. This was dangerous.

“I’m glad you’re both okay, after it all,” Cobb added, resting his gaze on Din’s face. “You alright in there, Din?”

At his name, Din completely broke. He sagged in his chair, leaning towards Cobb. The Marshal’s eyes widened but he grabbed Din’s shoulders anyway, and helped hold him up.

“Hey pal,” he said, wrapping an arm around Din’s shoulders, “It’s alright, I’ve gotcha.

Din was able to steady his breathing enough to look up at Cobb’s worried face. His heart clenched, and he sat up, reaching for his helmet.

“Whoa, buddy,” Cobb said, his eyebrows shooting up. “I know you told me about questioning your faith, but you don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable doin’, alright?”

Din was overwhelmed with the need to kiss this man as soon as possible.

“No, I-” he inhaled shakily, “I need to- I need to show you.”

“Okay,” Cobb said after a few seconds. “Alright. I won’t stop you.”

As Din reached back up for his helmet, Cobb smiled at him again. Din breathed out and pulled the helmet off over his head.

He held Cobb’s gaze as he set the helmet on the table, and it was a good thing too, else he would have missed the man’s reaction.

And what a reaction it was.

First, Cobb’s eyes grew comically wide. Then his lips parted slightly. He stared for a bit, and then a smile cut across his face. He beamed at Din in shock and disbelief, and Din felt his face grow hot under Cobb’s gaze.

“Stars above,” Cobb whispered, still smiling. “You’re even more gorgeous than I could’ve imagined.”

Din offered a small smile at that, but on the  inside, he was on fire.

Cobb extended one of his hands slowly, reaching for Din’s face. His fingers grazed Din’s cheek softly. Cobb swiped his thumb just under Din’s eye, ridding his skin of a stray tear. Then Cobb’s palm followed, resting against the side of Din’s face. Din’s smile grew as Cobb’s exploration continued. Both of his hands had come to rest just under Din’s jaw, and Cobb’s eyes roamed all over his face. They were much closer together now, and Din didn’t know who had moved, but he could feel Cobb’s breath against his nose.

“You’ve got brown eyes,” Cobb said softly.

Din grabbed one of Cobb’s wrists and turned his palm inward, placing a small, delicate kiss on the man’s skin. Cobb inhaled sharply, and before Din could react, he was pulled forward into Cobb’s embrace, their lips meeting half way.

Din stiffened, not sure of what to do. Cobb misinterpreted his hesitation and pulled away immediately. 

“ Skrag , I’m so sorry, Din. I shouldn’t have done that, I-”

Din shut him up by kissing him back. And Cobb melted in his hands.

It was difficult to find a rhythm at first; Din’s extreme lack of experience being an initial obstacle. But Cobb was skilled, and  _ very _ determined, and they eventually figured it out.

Din had his arms wrapped around Cobb’s waist, holding him tight. Cobb’s own arms were around Din’s shoulders, his hands in the  Mandalorian’s hair. Cobb pulled Din closer and he groaned. Then, his old dream came to life as Cobb ran his tongue over Din’s lips. Din growled – he wasn’t sure where  _ that _ came from, but  it sure excited Cobb, so he’d take it – and pushed back harder. Their mouths danced together and Din’s fingers traced all down Cobb’s sides, reaching the end of his shirt, just resting against the man’s exposed skin. Cobb gasped and pulled away slightly, yanking his shirt off over his head. Din’s eyes widened at the sight before him: hard, toned muscles, old scars lining his chest and shoulders, and a trail of hair leading below his pants, mocking Din. 

“Enjoying the view?” Cobb asked, smirking at him.

Din smiled, “You bet,” and captured Cobb’s lips in his once more.

~

They eventually left the cantina, when their exploration of each other's skin began to go a bit outside what would be socially acceptable to occur in the back of a bar. Least of all in front of a kid, one that had been – to both Din and Cobb’s immense shame – somewhat forgotten in their excitement. 

That same kid now slept in his pouch at Din’s side.

When they reached Cobb’s place, Din looked around as Cobb shut the door behind them.

“Not much has changed,” Din observed after a while. “The chair is gone.”

“Ah, well, it was old. Had no one else ‘round here to sit in it anyways,” Cobb replied. 

“Guess we’ll have to share the couch,” Din said, glancing back at Cobb.

Cobb shook his head, smiling, “Guess so.”

Din moved to sit down, when Cobb got an idea.

“Actually, uh, hang on a moment.” 

Cobb went to the back of the hall, and opened the small closet he hardly used. He pulled out what he was looking for, and grinned.

“Got this for a new villager a while back for his kid,” Cobb explained, reentering the central room, “But that one grew out of it so I kept it here just in case.”

Cobb set the makeshift crib next to the couch and turned back to Din.

Din raised his eyebrows –  _ stars  _ it was a wonder to see him do that – and walked over to the crib. He examined it for a bit.

“Looks to be in good shape... You mean for us to use this for Grogu?”

Cobb’s heart stuttered when Din  said “us”. 

“Yep,” he said, “We can set the kid up out here, and you and I can take the room.”

Din frowned, “Why wouldn’t he be back there with us?”

Cobb opened his mouth incredulously, quirking an eyebrow.

Din’s frown turned into mild surprise. “Oh,” he said, staring at the ground. “Oh, you mean- We'd-”

“Only if you want to, partner,” Cobb said, laughing.

Din stared up at him, a small smile crossing his face.

“No, I- That's-” he cleared his throat, “I’d like to. With you,” he added, and Cobb felt his heart grow impossibly bigger.

Din got the child settled into the crib before following Cobb to the room. As this was another interaction outside of his own experience, he continued to follow Cobb as their clothes hit the floor and their tongues tasted each other. But Din was a fast learner, and soon he was fulfilling his fantasies, his dream he’d once been ashamed of but now saw as something wonderful, something attainable. He was experiencing all of this for the first time, with  _ Cobb _ , and there was nowhere else he’d rather be.

~

Din and Grogu stayed in Mos  Pelgo for much longer than he planned. As was the way with such things, he supposed. Not that he was necessarily complaining; he finally had someone to return to.

First, Din had met with the bounty’s sponsor just outside Mos Eisley’s port, and he handed off the Rodian there. He was some scum who’d tried to kidnap and sell children into slave rings. Funny how he should be brought to justice by the galaxy’s most feared father.

When he returned to Mos  Pelgo , he rejoined Cobb immediately. And for as long as Din and Grogu remained at Mos  Pelgo – which did end up being a much longer time than before – wherever the Marshal went, his Mandalorian lover was never far behind, carrying his strange, green child at his hip.

Eran had grown quite a lot in just two years, but she was still more than happy to play with Grogu. That’s where the kid was now, while Din and Cobb made their way to Cobb’s bedroom again, laughing quietly and loving intensely.

~

Din and Grogu stayed for months. In that time, Din had tried – and failed – to learn how to cook, Grogu made new friends and had even attended school a few times, and Cobb had garnered some newfound respect from any newcomers who doubted his abilities. Apparently, they all thought that “seducing a Mandalorian” (a phrase Din heard quite often and enjoyed hearing every time,) was a far more impressive feat than helping said Mandalorian take down the beast that had been threatening this part of Tatooine for centuries. 

At the end of their second month in Mos  Pelgo , Din and Cobb found themselves outside late one night, just watching the stars above. Cobb had been the one to put Grogu to bed that night, singing the song that had become the kid’s  favourite since their return. Din had smiled, his heart warming at how much adoration he knew the kid had for Cobb. Cobb joked that he better, for taking care of the kid all by himself for two weeks. The memory of the  Krayt Dragon was so distant, after everything that had happened to them since.

“When the child was first taken, by the Empire, I couldn’t help but wonder what would’ve happened if we’d stayed here,” Din said quietly. “I wondered if the kid would’ve still been safe, if we’d both have been happier or better off for it.”

Cobb listened intently, watching the stars dance in Din’s eyes as he spoke.

“And I would let myself – my mind – wander too far, into dangerous territory. It was,” he sighed, “It was one of my weakest moments, without the kid. But it certainly forced me to acknowledge just how much he meant to me.”

Cobb nodded.

“He’s- He’s my  _ kid,  _ and he means _everything_ to me.”

Din sighed and turned to face Cobb.

“You do, too,” he added, so quietly Cobb almost missed it.

“Din,” he started, but the Mandalorian interrupted him.

“If you don’t let me say this  now I might leave without ever saying it.”

Cobb nodded again, closing his mouth.

“I’ve had to confront many different thoughts and feelings since starting this quest. Most of them, I thought I was better off without. But the kid changed that, for me. He changed how I saw everything around me. Ever since I swore the Creed, all I’ve known is a life of solitude and survival. Grogu showed me how to live, how to rely on others and be reliable in return.”

“And you changed how I saw love,” Din added.

Cobb felt his heart in his throat.

Din leaned forward and took both of Cobb’s hands in his own. He brushed his bare thumb against the Marshal’s skin, and when he met Cobb’s eyes, Din’s were warm, and full of-

“I love you, Cobb.”

Cobb stared, not believing his ears.

“I love you, and I see that now. And I know we’ll have to leave again soon, but I want to come back to you, I want to return for  _ good _ someday, to be here with you.” Din smiled softly, “If that’s okay with you.”

Cobb shook his head in wonder and practically leapt into Din’s lap, slamming their mouths together. Din’s hands found Cobb’s waist and held him tightly, kissing him back with the fervor of a man purely in love. Cobb felt a few tears escape his eyelids as he gripped Din’s shoulders tightly, his knees bracketing the man’s hips. Din held his face tenderly in his hands, and Cobb felt he would die from it.

They finally pulled apart for air, rested their foreheads together, and watched each other breathe.

“I love you,” Cobb said back.

And Din gave the most brilliant smile Cobb had ever had the pleasure of seeing.

~

A full year had passed since Din and Grogu had left the Jedi, and Din could tell that his son was growing restless the longer he was kept from training.

_“I knew you’d have to go back eventually, Din,”_ Cobb said when Din began to explain, _“As much as it’s_ _gonna_ _hurt us both, I know,”_ Cobb said, a small, sad smile on his lips. _“And I’m proud of you for taking such good care of the kid.”_

_“You could come with us,”_ Din had blurted then.

Cobb met his gaze, and they both knew what the answer would be.

_“I’ve got to stay with my people. And you have to stay with your kid.”_

On that day that Din and Grogu set out, Cobb was once again helping them load supplies and make sure they were ready to go. Once the ship was packed, Cobb handed the child over to Din carefully.

"Safe travels among the stars, little one," Cobb said, pressing a light kiss to Grogu's forehead. 

Cobb stood just outside the ramp, and Din waited a few steps above.

Din moved back towards Cobb slightly, hesitantly. 

“If you asked me to stay-” Din took a steadying breath, “If you asked  _ us _ to stay, we would.”

Cobb’s face fell.

“I know,” he said. He looked heartbroken. “That’s why I won’t ask.”

Din nodded, knowing Cobb shared in his pain. This was exactly what Din had been trying to avoid, what he’d been warned against, what he’d tried to save Cobb from. Loving Din was a kindness Cobb couldn’t afford, but despite Din’s warnings Cobb loved him anyway. And Din was all the happier for it.

As Din stepped aboard the ship, Grogu secure in his arms, he stopped at the top of the ramp, glancing back at the man he loved.

“I will come back,” he said.

Cobb just smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~  
> Edit: YES DIN DOES INDEED RETURN TO COBB AND THEY MARRY AND SETTLE DOWN I JUST DON'T KNOW IF I'M GONNA WRITE IT YET OR NOT SHDHDJS I LOVE Y'ALL  
> ~  
> Not me using a scrap of dialogue from a legit BOOK i am writing LMAO  
> I dont wanna say its over  
> I may continue this if i feel like it or if people really want me to sdhgjdfds i really loved working on this and id be happy to continue it if anyone would read it.  
> i absolutely cannot write smut idk why like its not that i wont let myself write smut its that i physically cannot. like i try and i freeze up and i cant do it. but just know they fuck SEVERAL times in this chapter lmao i tried my best  
> I left din's religious decisions open bc some would argue that the removal of his helmet in ch16 was a display of true belief while others would argue that it was him saying "no dad i dont wanna be a mandalorian anymore im not like you i just wanna be a go go dancer". so we'll wait til s3 i guess, which btw DOESN'T COME OUT UNTIL 2022 I'M HEARTBROKEN AND LIVID  
> 

**Author's Note:**

> The amount of times I was tempted to write " | |l || |_ " instead of the actual word is INsane, I hate my generation.  
> I made some adjustments when it came to the Tusken language. For example, upon using certain words I couldn't see an ancient native civilisation utilising in basic discussion, said word was replaced with [] to indicate that the word i put in the brackets was not the exact word used, but was what they meant. "Mandalorian" in Tusken is italicised, because - after absolutely no research on the Tusken language whatsoever - I decided that they would have a different word for Mandalorian, that the word wouldn't be Mandalorian at all bc why would Tuskens interact w people from Mandalore? So i explain it as, rather than them saying Mandalorian they are saying "one from mandalore" which is in essence the same but rather than the title of Mandalorian it's more of a "fill your planet in the blank here" kind of word. Bear with me here, I am trying to be as realistic and true to life as possible when writing fanfiction for two ficitonal characters in a fictional world where all atmospheres are breathable and somehow straight people still exist.  
> If you read a line and you're like "Hey this is vaguely reminiscent of a song, could it be a reference-" it is you're right I can't help myself from constantly referencing Hozier okay? It's true, all of it.


End file.
